Looking through my search terms logs, I have noticed that a lot of people are finding my blog by looking for information about the minimum GPA requirements for acceptance to Ph. D. and Master's programmes. I'll try to answer, from my own personal experience, some of the questions I've asked myself over the past year. Beware, though, as these are only my annecdotal findings: you need to find out what your institution requires since they are the ultimate authority.GPA Equivalence If your institution provides a GPA on a scale other than the one the institution you're applying to uses, you will need to convert your GPA. My university uses a 12-point scale averaged to one decimal point, where 12 = A+, 11 = A ... F = 0). Most American universities use a 4-point scale.
It is important to note that you probably can not simply convert your GPA using an algebraic equivalence like $latex \frac{x}{4}=\frac{11.3}{12}$. This is because different institutions use different numerical weighting values for each letter grade band. For example, Carleton University assigns 12 to A+ and 11 to A, whereas McGill University assigns 4.0 to both A+ and to A.GPA Requirements Most schools I have looked at require
- an A- average for a Master's;
- a Master's (thesis-based) Passed With Distinction and an A CGPA for a Doctorate.
Additionally, almost every school I have looked at has added, somewhere, that admission requirements are flexible. What you want to show the school to which you are applying is that you can (1) contribute to the culture of the institution, (2) add something significant to the state of knowledge of the field you're interested in (and that that field is also a field of research of that institution).
The best advice I can give: just check directly with the select schools that interest you.
